Method for mounting a vortex generator and mounting apparatus for carrying out the method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10000017-B2
Application number	US-201514820696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2015
Priority date	Aug 8, 2014
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for securing an attachment ( 3, 33 ) to a component, in particular a rotor blade ( 1 ), in which the component is provided with an adhesion surface ( 36 ), the attachment ( 3, 33 ) is provided with a corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ), the attachment ( 3, 33 ) is provided with an adhesive-conveying connection to the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ), the adhesion surface ( 36 ) is placed on the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ), a gap ( 53 ) is formed between the adhesion surface ( 36 ) and the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ), the attachment ( 3, 33 ) is pressed against the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ) and at the same time the adhesive ( 80 ) is injected into the gap ( 53 ) through the adhesive-conveying connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for securing an attachment ( 3 , 33 ) to a component, of a rotor blade ( 1 ), in which the component is provided with an adhesion surface ( 36 );
the attachment ( 3 , 33 ) is provided with a corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 );
the adhesion surface ( 36 ) is placed on the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 );
a gap ( 53 ) is formed between the adhesion surface ( 36 ) and the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ); and
the attachment ( 3 , 33 ) is pressed against the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ) and at the same time the adhesive ( 80 ) is injected into the gap ( 53 ) through an adhesive-conveying connection.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the attachment ( 3 , 33 ) is provided with the adhesive-conveying connection to the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gap ( 53 ) is closed off circumferentially in an adhesive-tight manner.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a double-sided adhesive strip ( 37 ) is stuck circumferentially onto the adhesion surface ( 36 ) and the attachment ( 3 , 33 ) provided with the double-sided adhesive strip ( 37 ) is placed onto the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ) and, by means of an adhesively-bonded connection between the adhesion surface ( 36 ) and the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ), there forms an adhesive-tight seal which closes off the gap ( 53 ) circumferentially.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening ( 34 ′, 33 ′ a , 33 ′ b , 33 ′ c , 33 ′ d ) are introduced into the attachment ( 3 , 33 ), which openings form with the adhesion surface ( 36 ) the adhesive-conveying connection.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein regions of the at least one outlet opening ( 33 ′ a , 33 ′ b , 33 ′ c , 33 ′ d ) which lie opposite the adhesion surface ( 36 ) are covered with a protective strip ( 33 a , 33 b , 33 c , 33 d ) and the at least one outlet opening ( 33 ′ a , 33 ′ b , 33 ′ c , 33 ′ d ) is introduced into the attachment ( 3 , 33 ) through the respective protective strip ( 33 a , 33 b , 33 c , 33 d ).

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the protective strips ( 33 a , 33 b , 33 c , 33 d ) prevent excess adhesive ( 80 ), which has been introduced into the gap ( 53 ) and issues forth from the at least one outlet opening ( 33 ′ a , 33 ′ b , 33 ′ c , 33 ′ d ), from coming into contact with the outer wall of the attachment ( 3 , 33 ), and are removed again from the outer wall after the introduction of the adhesive ( 80 ).

8. The method as claimed in one of claim 1 , wherein a pressing tool ( 40 ) is arranged temporarily on the attachment ( 3 , 33 ) and suctions onto an outer wall ( 6 ) of the component ( 1 ) and presses the attachment ( 3 , 33 ) against the outer wall ( 6 ) of the component ( 1 ) and holds the attachment ( 3 , 33 ) in shape.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the pressing tool ( 40 ) is in contact with the attachment ( 3 , 33 ) on the circumferential edge of the latter and presses the circumferential edge against the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ).

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein adhesive ( 80 ) is pressed into the gap ( 53 ) through the at least one inlet opening ( 34 ′).

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a vacuum is produced in the gap ( 53 ) via at least one of the outlet openings ( 33 ′ a , 33 ′ b , 33 ′ c , 33 ′ d ) and adhesive ( 80 ) is injected into the gap ( 53 ) through the inlet openings ( 34 ′).

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the adhesion surface ( 36 ) and the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ) are roughened and/or cleaned.

13. A mounting apparatus with a pressing tool ( 40 ) for an attachment ( 3 , 33 ) having an adhesion surface ( 36 ) against a corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ) of a component of a rotor blade ( 1 ),
having at least one suction pad ( 41 ) by means of which the pressing tool ( 40 ) can be temporarily suctioned onto a wall of the component ( 1 ), and
by means of which the attachment ( 3 , 33 ) can be pressed in a sealed manner, forming a gap ( 53 ) between the adhesion surface ( 36 ) and the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ), against the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ), and
an injection device for injecting adhesive ( 80 ) into the gap ( 53 ) between the adhesion surface ( 36 ) and the corresponding adhesion surface ( 9 ).

14. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the pressing tool ( 40 ) has at least one of the suction pads ( 41 ).

15. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein a rod assembly ( 50 , 51 ) extends from the at least one suction pad ( 41 ) and the pressing tool ( 40 ) for the attachment ( 3 , 33 ) is provided on a suction pad-side of the rod assembly ( 50 , 51 ).

16. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the pressing tool ( 40 ) has a pressing dome ( 44 ) with a circumferential pressing surface ( 46 ).

17. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , having at least one depression ( 60 a , 60 b , 60 c , 60 d ) in the pressing dome ( 44 ), which is sunk to the height of the circumferential pressing surface ( 46 ) and which permits actuation on the pressed attachment ( 3 , 33 ).

18. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the pressing tool ( 40 ) is made height-adjustable with respect to the suction pads ( 41 ).

19. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the injection device has an injection nozzle ( 71 ) for connecting to the at least one inlet opening ( 34 ′) of the attachment ( 3 , 33 ).

20. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the injection nozzle ( 71 ) can be connected to the inlet opening ( 34 ′) via one of the depressions ( 60 a , 60 b , 60 c , 60 d ) of the pressing dome ( 44 ).

21. The mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the injection device has a vacuum pump which can be connected to all of the outlet openings ( 33 ′ a , 33 ′ b , 33 ′ c , 33 ′ d ) on the attachment ( 3 , 33 ), and which generates a vacuum in the gap ( 53 ).

Assignees

• Senvion Gmbh

Inventors

• Windbichler Ralph

Classifications

• B29C65/48 Primary

  using adhesives {, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding} · CPC title

• B29C66/82423

  using vacuum (using vacuum directly acting on the parts to be joined B29C66/82661) · CPC title

• B29C66/026

  Chemical pre-treatments (B29C66/028 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F03D1/0675

  of the blades · CPC title

• B29L2031/085

  Wind turbine blades · CPC title